<p>In Malawi 2.5 % of the forest disappears each year. The use of firewood and charcoal, deriving from forest resources,</p><p>accounts for about 99 % of the household energy demand in Malawi and is a cause to the deforestation. The Government of</p><p>Malawi recently launched a programme called Promotion of Alternative Energy Sources Programme (PAESP) with the aim</p><p>to reduce the use of firewood and charcoal. One of the fuels included in the programme is the biomass briquette. The aim</p><p>with this study is to evaluate the viability of biomass briquettes as a sustainable alternative energy source to firewood and</p><p>charcoal for households in Malawi.</p><p>Research for the study was carried out during three months in Malawi. Visits were made to a number of briquette</p><p>production sites to study the manufacturing methods and to collect briquette samples. The briquettes were tested using</p><p>various methods and then compared with results for firewood and charcoal.</p><p>At the moment various production methods are used in Malawi, with a high difference in technical complexity and cost.</p><p>Machines produced from wood using very basic mechanics can apply similar pressure as more advanced metal pressers.</p><p>They also seem to be better suited than those made of metal, in terms of price and availability.</p><p>The majority of the briquette producers in Malawi use waste paper as base material. Although the paper briquettes are good,</p><p>other raw materials will be needed if the production is supposed to be significantly increased.</p><p>The briquettes burn well using the most common stoves in Malawi, including the commonly used charcoal stove. While</p><p>firewood is cheaper to use than other available fuels, the briquettes seem to be able to compete with the fuel costs for</p><p>charcoal.</p>

In Malawi 2.5 % of the forest disappears each year. The use of firewood and charcoal, deriving from forest resources, accounts for about 99 % of the household energy demand in Malawi and is a cause to the deforestation. The Government of Malawi recently launched a programme called Promotion of Alternative Energy Sources Programme (PAESP) with the aim to reduce the use of firewood and charcoal. One of the fuels included in the programme is the biomass briquette. The aim with this study is to evaluate the viability of biomass briquettes as a sustainable alternative energy source to firewood and charcoal for households in Malawi. Research for the study was carried out during three months in Malawi. Visits were made to a number of briquette production sites to study the manufacturing methods and to collect briquette samples. The briquettes were tested using various methods and then compared with results for firewood and charcoal. At the moment various production methods are used in Malawi, with a high difference in technical complexity and cost. Machines produced from wood using very basic mechanics can apply similar pressure as more advanced metal pressers. They also seem to be better suited than those made of metal, in terms of price and availability. The majority of the briquette producers in Malawi use waste paper as base material. Although the paper briquettes are good, other raw materials will be needed if the production is supposed to be significantly increased. The briquettes burn well using the most common stoves in Malawi, including the commonly used charcoal stove. While firewood is cheaper to use than other available fuels, the briquettes seem to be able to compete with the fuel costs for charcoal.

The tea industry in Kenya is among the main consumers of firewood for its intensive thermal energy demand. Along with the growing concerns about firewood depletion, tea factories have begun transitioning to alternative fuels to power their boilers. Briquettes made of biomass residues are among the promising solutions; however, they are not yet widely adopted. This study was conducted to identify the factors that motivate the tea factories to use biomass briquettes instead of firewood and the factors hindering such substitution. The substitution potential was assessed, and the drivers and barriers of the substitution were examined using a combination of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis and a PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) framework. The findings suggest that even though using biomass briquettes is technically possible, it is not economically favorable for tea factories. The SWOT/PESTEL analysis identified 27 factors influencing the substitution. Among the key drivers are the depleting supply of firewood, the availability of biomass residues, and the external support from development organizations to improve the technical capacity in both tea and briquette industries. The study revealed the barriers to substitution include the cost competitiveness, insufficient supply, and varying quality of briquettes, as well as the lack of awareness and knowledge of briquettes.